Woodland Hills, California July 11 – This October, EPI brings three DVDsto home viewing audiences that uncover the mysteries behind Great Britain’s most notorious gangsters – The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection, Roy Shaw: Brute Force and Mad Frank! Inspiring hundreds of books and blockbuster films starring Brad Pitt (Snatch) and directed by Guy Ritchie (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), these criminals where known for unrelentless torture tactics and gangland killings which make the American mob look tame. Long after their jail terms and (for a few of them) their deaths, these mobsters have generated a cult-following in the US and Canada. The three programs, filled with bonus extra features and rare interviews, will be available beginning October 3, 2006 for a suggested retail price of $14.98 each. The DVDs are distributed by Koch Entertainment.

THE KRAY BROTHERS: THE GEORDIE CONNECTIONThroughout the 1960s the Kray Brothers ran their viscous empire in London’s East End. The evil twins, Ron and Reg, became legendary figures as they mixed with political and showbiz figures, while making it a habit to murder their opponents. To the man on the street they were heroes – to their enemies they were thugs – brutal without remorse, and in their own minds invincible.

The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection documents one man’s relationship with Britian’s most notorious criminals. Through private letters, exclusive footage from gangster get-togethers and parties, and taped phone conversations, the inside story of the Kray Empire behind bars is revealed.

Steve Wraith was a young man who became obsessed with the Krays, so much so he became their pen pal while they were in jail. The Krays eventually began relying on him as their outside source – even asking him to kill Ronnie Kray’s wife! Featuring footage right into the grave of the Twins, The Kray Brothers: The Geordie Connection is a personal and frightening look at Ron and Reg, featuring a host of UK crime figures.

ROY SHAW: BRUTE FORCERoy "Pretty Boy" Shaw is considered one of Britain’s most dangerous criminals. In 1963 he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in an armed robbery and was taken to Maidson prison where he literally smashed his wayout of his cell. Considered too violent for prison, he was then sent to Broadmoor where he was subjected to experimental brain surgery and mind altering drugs. After a visit from boxing great Joe Louis and a roof top prison protest, he was finally released from Broadmoor’s dungeons.

Brute Force tells Roy’s story from the tragic death of his father in a motorbike accident to the bullying he endured throughout his childhood, up to his days of fighting back with his fists. In Roy’s own words Brute Force reveals the crimes, the stabbings, the Prison Years, the riots , his daily fights and the stories behind the unlicensed boxing years up to present day. In his own words "For me violence is simply an accepted part of my profession– if you’re unlucky enough to have me come after you…beware..cos hell’s coming with me!"

Bonus features on the DVD include: Earnie Shavers-Bad Boy Bash, Until Death do Us Part, Trailers and Scene Selections

MAD FRANK!‘Mad’ Frank Frasier is one of Britian’s most legendary villains who for50 years was a key figure in London’s Underworld. A peer of the Kray Brothers, he was arguably as influential and certainly as dangerous. Certified insane three times, Frank served 40 years in prisons and mental institutions.

Born in South London in 1923 he began a life of crime after a car ran overhis head when he was five. By 12 years old he was a full time criminal,breaking and entering, until he was caught and sent to reform school. Onrelease he continued his life of crime until he was jailed and sent to Wandsworth Prison. He assaulted Prison Officers and Governors until he was certified insane and sent to the mental hospital. There he received electric shock treatment before returning to prison where he pounded flintstone all day.

In Mad Frank!, Frank himself tells horrific stories of killing, revenge anda rigid determination to beat the system. He is a link to every villainfrom The Krays to the Great Train Robbers. Chilling and stomach churning Frasier makes even the infamous independent contractor for the mob, The Ice Man, look tame. Viewers of the DVD will find him as interesting to listen to, as he is frightening to be with. Bonus features include:

Special Features Include: Earnie Shavers-Bad Boy Bash Until Death do us Part; Scene Chapter Index; and Trailers

About EPIEPI was Incorporated in 1982 by Joe Pershes the sole shareholder. Pershes was one of the earliest pioneers in the industry, placing Allied Artists Video in the business and as VP Home Video for Twentieth Century Fox. EPI formed the label Master Arts Video in early 1982 seeking niche markets in home video, as the first distributor of Martial Arts Videos available on VHS. Throughout the 80s and 90s, EPI has championed other niche markets such as its successful "Sirens of the Silver Screen" videos and placing Gay titles into the chain audio/video markets. EPI also brought "Family Value Films" to the market in 2003 with family classics such as Wind Dancer and Walking Thunder.

Sep 24, 2006

There will indeed be a fourth installment in the Bruce Willis franchise Die Hard. The fourth, called Live Free or Die Hard, will start shooting in October.

Bruce will be reprising his role as John McClane, and will be joined by Justin Long who will McClane's sidekick. Long had previously had roles in Dodgeball, as well as playing second fiddle to Britney Spears(Crossroads) and Lindsay Lohane (Herbie Fully Loaded). He can also been seen in Apple's new Mac commercials. Maggie Q(Mission Impossible III, Rush Hour 2) is also starring.

Len Wiseman will direct. Wiseman is best known for writing and directing the Underworld films, as well as for being married to Kate Beckinsale.

This time around cop John McClane must save the day after an attack on the U.S.' computer infrastructure begins to shut the country down. No word as to when we should expect it to hit theatres.

Sept 19thBackdraft: 2 disc Anniversary edition Extras: Introduction by Ron Howard, Deleted Scenes, "Igniting the Story" Featurette, "Bringing Together the Team" Featurette, "The Explosive Stunts" Featurette, "Creating the Villain: The Fire" Featurette, "Real Life Firemen, Real Life Stories" Featurette (Universal)Ron Howard's thriller involving firemen is an entertaining film with a very strong cast.It is the cast that brings this film past mediocrity.Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro are outstanding in their supporting roles, while William Baldwin and Kurt Russell hold the fort as two brothers constantly at odds as they each attempt to fullfil their legacy.While Backdraft would not be at the top of my list for films to get a special edition,it is entertaining and the bonus features are interesting, particularly those that focus on fire and those who fight it.Hard Candy (2006) Dir.: David Slade; Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page, Sanda Oh. Thriller about a teenage girl who meets a photographer via the Internet. Extras: Commentary by director David Slade and writer Brian Nelson, deleted and extended scenes, making-of documentary. (Lionsgate).Review for this mind-breaking thriller to come as soon as I recover from seeing it. It may take some time and therapy. Very good film, but disturbing.Hart to Hart: The Complete Second Season (1980-81) Five-disc set with 20 episodes, $49.95. (Sony)Stephanie Powers and Robert Wagner are a rich couple that solve crimes while being stylish. I really can’t think of a whole lot more to say about it. Fun at times, but there is very little substance.The Unit Season One Four-disc set with 13 episodes, $49.98. Extras: Commentary on select episodes, "Inside the Unit" featurette. (Fox).From David Mamet and the creator of Shield comes this entertaining series of espionage.

Sept 26thThe Adventures of Dick Tracy: The Complete Animated Series (1961-64) Four-disc set, $39.98. Extras: Limited edition Dick Tracy comic book. (Classic Media).Let us go back to a time where cartoons looked…not so impressive. Personally, I never really got Dick Tracy, but this should be a fun trip down memory lane for some.

Brotherhood: The Complete First Season Three-disc set with 11 episodes, $56.99 Extras: Commentary by creator/executive producer/writer Blake Masters and executive producer/writer Henry Bromell; "Power Map" interactive graphical guide to the characters' relationships and power struggles. (Showtime).

Down in the Valley (2006) Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Bruce Dern, Rory Culkin. Psychological thriller about a young, charismatic cowboy stuck in suburban San Fernando Valley, who by a twist of fate rides into the life of a rebellious young girl. Extras: Q & A with Edward Norton and writer-director David Jacobson, deleted scenes. (ThinkFilm).

Eleventh Hour (2006 -- TV) Two-disc set with four episodes of the investigative sci-fi mystery series starring Patrick Stewart as a government detective who solves mysteries in the ever-evolving world of contemporary science (rogue cloners, resurgent viruses, ruthless polluters, etc.); $29.99. (Acorn Media).

Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The (2006) Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley, JJ Sonny Chiba, Sung Kang. Latest edition in the street-racing franchise. Extras: "Underground Drifting" featurette with real-life drifters, "Drifting School" behind-the-scenes with the stars as they learn to drift, "Cast Cam" behind-the-scenes videos, "The Big Breakdown: Han's Last Ride" featurette on the film's most explosive chase, "Tricked Out to Drift" featurette on the 230 cars used for stunts and crashes, "Welcome to Drifting" featurette, "The Real Drift King" featurette on the legend who put drifting on the map, "The Japanese Way" on-location featurette. (Universal).

This time the gang(which is pretty much all new folk) is running wild in the land of the rising sun. . The first was made by Vin Diesel’s charismatic performance, the second was made by…..well nothing. I am honestly not sure if anyone saw this film in the theatres. If a film is played and nobody shows up, does it really count? But, if fast cars, tough guys and scantily clad women are all you need in a movie, here it is.

Riptide: The Complete First Season Three-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.95. (Sony).First there was Magnum P.I., which was very good. Then there was Simon and Simon, which was, at times, ok. Riptide is a step below that. Bikinied babes and not much else. There have been rumors of script writers, but that has yet to be proven. Still a fun if you are in the right frame of mind.

A Slight Case of Murder (1999 -- TV) William H. Macy, Adam Arkin, Felicity Huffman, James Cromwell, Julia Campbell, Paul Mazursky, Vincent Pastore. TNT Original Movie.Based on a Donald Westlake novel, This TNT original movie tells a story of murder, blackmail and betrayal. A full review will be coming soon.

Thriller: The Complete Season One Four-disc set of the British anthology series from the 1970s; created by famed "Avengers" auteur Brian Clemens; $79.95. Extras: "Creating Thriller With Brian Clemens," "Directing Thriller with Shaun O' Riordan," "Filming Thriller with John Cooper," episode introductions with Brian Clemens, archival photo gallery. (A&E Home Video).

All comment in white are mine and mine alone. I don't rule out the possibility that somebody might disagree with me.Jeremy Lynch

Sep 17, 2006

Koch Vision has released a 7 disc set featuring documneteries on the history of organixed crime. From Russia to Jamaica , New York to Viet Nam, Host Robert Stack nbarrates while they show actual photos and news footage, and reanactments of actual events.

13 hours worth of information presented in a very watchable format, this is a very entertaining and infomative set of discs. I really liked the New Orleans feature.

Sep 16, 2006

In 1997, Tony Fontana pitched, to HBO, the idea of an hour long drama set in a minimum-security prison. The name for this series was to be “Club Med.” HBO decided to green light the project, but something changed during the process, it was decided that it would be in a maximum-security prison instead. The main characters would not be in for white-collar crimes, but for murder, armed robbery and kidnapping. The name of the show was changed to “Oz.”

This unlikely show was the first one-hour drama on HBO and ran for 6 critically acclaimed years. In 2003, they finally closed wrapped for the final time. Oz features an amazing cast filled with faces that would be familiar to many TV viewers. More than one of these inmates has been on the other side of the law on shows such as the Law & Order franchise as well as Third Watch.The challenge of writing a show about prison is great. For starters, you have to draw the viewers in when you have very few sympathetic characters. You can only so many characters that A) were wrongly imprisoned or B) Have seen the light and have become beacons of humanity.

Season six is the final one and goes out with power and force. Not everyone gets what they deserve (good or bad) but the end of Oz is consistent with the realism that made it one of the finest shows on television. The one issue I do have is that at times, it feels as though they were rushed to wrap things up. Some of the characters are written off rather abruptly, I wonder if they had been wanting a seventh season and were forced to move faster than originally planned to the series conclusion? Dispute this problem, the show is still worth watching. One has to applaud their decision to keep the end faithful to the grittiness that was the show’s trademark. It would have been so easy to wrap things up with a happy, feel-good ending.

This collection contains a few audio tracks featuring Series creator Tony Fontana, as well as several actors. These commentaries are fairly low key and certainly add some fascinating insight into the production of the show, as well as how some of the cast and crew felt about saying goodbye to the characters and show that they had put so much time into.

There is also an extended version of the series finale, but the extra footage is rough, noticeably so. This is too bad because the extra scenes are quite interesting.Jeremy

Black Dahlia marks the return of Brian De Palma to his the genre that made him famous. I know quite a few people that were waiting for this film in hopes that it would mark his return to greatness.

You will have to keep waiting. While full of colour and style, Dahlia gets blogged down by a poor script and bad pacing.

The film, based on the critically acclaimed James Elroy novel of the same name, looks at the the true life murder of Elizabeth Short, a would be actress whose body was found brutally violated.

Leland "Lee" Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) and Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) are a couple of cops that are made partners after competing in a boxing match for charity. The two have some swell times, forming a slightly awkward threesome along with Lee’s girlfriend Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson), who both men come to love. After a shoot-out with some undesirables, Blanchard and Bleichert come across the grisly crime scene where the body of Elizabeth Short has been discovered, touching off a series of complicated events involving (but not limited to): obsession, desperate starlets, the amorality of Hollywood, abundant murder, the destruction of idealism, pretty costumes, hotels that rent by the hour, entrails and evisceration, a perversely dysfunctional family, poorly constructed buildings, more pretty costumes, a scary clown painting, and--of course--lesbians.

Elroy’s work is generally filled with lots of sub plots and back story. In the case of L.A. Confidential, director Curtis Hanson joined writer Brian Hegleland and was successful taking the complex work of Ellroy and making a script that told the story without overwhelming the audience…or running three hours.

In the case of the Black Dahlia, Josh Friedman, whose only previous screenplay was War of the Worlds for Steven Spielberg, failed to translate the novel to the screen. Much of the first hour is focused on back-story. And the actual case does not really come front and center until the last half hour, at which time the film takes off at breakneck speeds to try to reach it’s conclusion before time runs out. At the climax, the over-acting is thick enough to walk on. The script overloads us with detail, yet often fails to explain things clearly.

The cast does the best they can with what they are given. Aaron Eckhart spends much of the movie being either manic or cranky….or a combination of both. Josh Hartnett, fresh off the outstanding Lucky Number Slevin, continues to grow into the role of leading man, but even he is made overly wooden at times, having to spend more time reacting to things around him than actually doing anything. Scarlett Johansson is pretty enough and has a few opportunities to express emotions, but even those are limited to concern, anguish and longing (is longing an emotion?)Hilary Swank is entertaining enough as the token femme fatale. I must confess it was a little strange seeing her in a dress.....it was also a little strange seeing her out of her dress; good for her for keeping herself in great shape. In all seriousness, Swank does a good job, but then she really is not called on to do a whole lot.

If it sounds like I am being overly harsh, perhaps I am. The film does have its good points. De Palma has created a film that is visually stunning, and the sets and costumes evoke 40’s Hollywood in all its glamour (you would never guess it was filmed in Bulgaria).Perhaps I am just frustrated because I can see what Black Dahlia could have been, instead of what it ended up being.

Sep 15, 2006

"Sean Penn and Tom Cruise in the same movie?!" That's like saying "Tom Cruise and Leif Garrett in the same movie?!" or "Tom Cruise and C. Thomas Howell in the same movie?!" or "Tom Cruise and Diane Lane in the same movie?!" or "Tom Cruise in a Francis Ford Coppala movie?!" (all of the above you can see in The Outsiders). It was the 80's, things were "different." In Taps Tom and Sean didn't even make it on the beginning credits. Timothy Hutton had just won an Oscar for Ordinary People. George C. Scott had won in 1970 for Patton. Sean was many years away from winning and Tom had many years to go just to be nominated (which I hear is the REAL honor).

I had never watched Taps until now, but had heard of it of course. I had never been a real big fan of Timothy Hutton, I had nothing against him, I had just not seen him in anything. But then I saw him in Nero Wolf on A&E and said, “Huh, I like him. He’s cool. What the hell was I thinking?” Now watching Taps I can see what the big deal was. He is a damn good actor, highly underrated. I want to now go back and watch Ordinary People. If you don’t know the premise of Taps it is as follows:

Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise, and Sean Penn are cadets in a military school that is being run by George C. Scott, who they think is God, come to Earth. When the “powers that be” decide to close the facility to put up condos. At that Tim and the rest of the school decide they are going to take over the school and demand it not be closed. George C. Scott is not there, for reasons I will not get into, and it falls to Ronny Cox to try and talk them out. I have always like Ronny Cox, whether he is playing a good guy (The Beverly Hills Cop series) or a bad guy (Total Recall, Robocop). Here he is playing a good guy.

As a movie it was good, engaging. The only problem I had was, unfortunately, with Tim himself. When it came to the dramatic parts he nailed it and I could see no one else in the role. But at the time he still looked like he was 14, and I didn’t believe he could command enough respect to get ALL those kids to take over a school, with live ammo. But like I said in all other respects he was perfect for the role.

Something my old pappy used to say to me sums it up, quite nicely. He'd say, "Johnny, never scratch an itch, until you knowed what time the chicken's done!" (Actually to be truthful, I am not sure what that meant, or who Johnny was).

The DVD special's include a commentary on the making of the movie. Timithy Hutton, Ronny Cox, and several behind the scenesers are interviewed. The is also a Origin of the Song Taps documentary that is really boring...unless you are interested in history and love Useless Information, like me.

Simon Kernick, the latest in a wave of wonderful new authors from the UK, and one of the nicest guys I've met.What's the latest book you've read?

The Ruins by Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan. Very very good.

What's you're latest book and why should people read it?

Relentless. It's a race against time thriller. You should read it because it's fast, it's furious and there are enough twists to keep even the biggest crime buffshappy (honest!)

What's coolest thing you did in the last 6 months?

Scuba dived a hundred foot down in the Red Sea to the wreck of a Second World War British cargo ship. I went in through the hole created by the bombwhich sank it and then swam all the way through it, stopping to sit in the driver's seat of an armoured jeep that's still parked upright, along with somemotorbikes and heavy machine guns, in the hold. On the way back to shore in the dive boat, one of the crew caught a five foot tuna. Now how cool is that?

What are you doing this weekend?

Believe it or not, writing. I'm going hell for leather on my current book, the sequel to RELENTLESS, which is scheduled for release next summer, At themoment, I'm a bit behind.

A quick five questions with Omaha's favorite son, one of the tallest men in Mystery and most likely the DEEPEST phone voice you will ever hear ( Unless James Earl Jones calls you).

What's the latest book you've read?

The Ruins by Scott Smith.

What's you're latest book and why should people read it?

My latest is called The Cleanup, a tender love story about a cop who hides a body to help a girl. It'll be available October 31. People should read it for the recipes.

What's coolest thing you did in the last 6 months?

I weant to see the Tut exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. He wasn't there.

What are you doing this weekend?

Participating in a local lit fest, mowing the lawn, giving the kids baths. Oh! And doing an online chat with some of the contributors to Duane Swierczinski's DAMN NEAR DEAD anthology. (Yahoo g_so at 6:45 on Saturday, Sept 16, to get in on it).

What's next for Sean Doolittle?

Lit fest, lawn, bath time, chat. . .and then back to work on a still-untitled thriller involving a college professor, an ex-cop, and a shallow grave.

Sep 11, 2006

I liked I Wake Up Screaming(I've got a review knocking around here somewhere), the 1941 movie Vicki (1953-Fox) was remade from, mostly for the first rate visuals and tight performances. Vicki, alas, is visually average and the performances are excessively gay (in the old use of the word) or dark. I found myself pining for Victor Mature and Betty Grable.

Jean Peters plays Vicki, a waitress turned into a star by Steve (no longer Frankie) Christopher, PR man and promoter,done in...er... up by Elliot Reid. When she dumps him for Hollywood she turns up dead. Hmmm, wonder who they suspect?

Jean Crain plays the sister, also a suspect for about two minutes, after which the cops come to their senses and realize such a sweet woman couldn't be a killer. She could have bumped off half the squad before they caught on.

Richard Boone as lead detective Ed Cornell is sullen and brooding but it's not enough. He comes off as more angry than mad.

The Special Features voice over belabors the obvious in case you're drunk or stupid.

Vicki is billed as a Classic, but take out the Class and all you have is Ic.

Sep 8, 2006

Hollywoodland.On June 16th, 1959 actor George Reeves, best known for playing Superman on TV, killed himself. That is the official story. To this day, there is still controversy over whether he killed himself or was murdered.In Hollywoodland, a 1950s private detective (Academy Award winner Adrian Brody) investigates the mysterious death of Reeves (Academy Award winner Ben Affleck). As he uncovers connections to his own life, the case turns more personal. The film also stars Bob Hoskins as studio executive whose wife (Diane Lane) had a torrid affair with Reeves.Initial reviews are very positive, suggesting that this is Affleck’s strongest work to date. Affleck was not the original choice for the role, Hugh Jackman was originally slated to play Reeves, but stepped out due to scheduling conflicts. Benicio Del Toro was also supposed to play Brody's role, but also had to drop out. Brody eventually got the role after beating out Joaquin Phoenix.

Diagnosis Murder Season 1 (Paramount)Dick Van Dyke stars as a doctor that solves crimes on the side. This show also features Scott Baio. Yes, it is on CBS and God bless them for giving Mr. Baio something to do with his time.Lucky Number Slevin (2006) Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Michael Rubenfeld, Peter Outerbridge, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Chamberlin, Dorian Missick, Mykelti Williamson. Extras: Director and cast commentaries, alternate ending, deleted scenes, making-of featurette. (Weinstein Co.).Fantastic film in which nothing is as it seems. Oscar winners Sir Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman are rival crime lords that place a man they think is Nick Fisher(Hartnett) in the middle of their blood feud. Also in the fray are Emmy/Golden Globe winners Stanley Tucci and Bruce Willis. One of the best crime films, along with Brick, of 2006. These are must own movies. If you don't buy these two films, you have no right to complain about the state of Hollywood.Director Paul McGuigan is slated to direct the big screen version of the tv series The Equalizer.Taps 25th Anniversary Edition (1981) Dir.: Harold Becker; George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Brendan Ward, Evan Handler, John P. Navin Jr., Billy Van Zandt, Giancarlo Esposito. Extras: Commentary by Becker, all-new interview with Hutton, "Sounding the Call to Arms: Mobilizing the TAPS Generation" featurette, "The Bugler's Cry: The Origins of Playing 'Taps'" featurette. (Fox).Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn and Tom Cruise star as cadets that, when the military academy they call home is scheduled to be torn down, take mattes into their own hands. After taking over the school, these students hold off the construction crews and eventually face off with the real military.

Sep 4, 2006

On October 20th, Killshot will hit theatres. For those of you unfamiliar with the Elmore Leonard novel:Carmen Colson (Diane Lane) and her ironworker husband Wayne (Thomas Jane) are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an extortion scheme go wrong. Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced intimidating hit man (Mickey Rourke) and a psychopathic young upstart killer (Joe Gordon Levitt). The ensuing struggle will test Carmen to the limit.Click here to view the Killshot Trailer.